Boehner, Snowden, Zimmerman: The least popular

A new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll shows an American public disgruntled with the impasse at the U.S. Capitol, with U.S. House Speaker John Boehner outranked only by NSA leaker Edward Snowden and acquitted Florida murder defendant George Zimmerman in public disapproval.

House Speaker John Boehner: Just 18 percent give him positive marks in new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.

Just 18 percent of those surveyed gave positive marks to Boehner, with 36 percent disapproving of the speaker and others saying they’re neutral or having no opinion. The figures show a 14-39 percent disapproval figure for Zimmerman and an 11-35 percent disapproval marker for Snowden.

Snowden may be unpopular but the poll revealed a growing unease about the surveillance state: 55 percent of those surveyed said they are more worried that the government will go too far violating privacy rights as it snoops on Americans’ phone records and other footprints left in the electronic age.

President Obama was given a positive personal rating by 48 percent of those surveyed, while 40 percent viewed the 44th president negatively.

On job approval, however, Obama was on the down side of a 45-50 percent margin, the second-lowest mark of his presidency.

Obama is still getting far higher marks than Congress, which fell even deeper into public disapproval. Just 12 percent of Americans surveyed said they approved of the job Congress is doing, with a whopping 83 percent disapproving.

The national poll was conducted July 17-21, involved surveys with 1,000 American adults and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percent.

Barack and Michelle Obama: The President gets positive personal marks, but 45 percent job approval rating is second lowest of the Obama presidency.

Republicans received critical marks for partisanship. Voters were asked whether Obama, Democrats in Congress or Republicans in Congress were trying to unify the country, or fostering partisan division. Forty-five percent said Obama was seeking to unify Americans, with 48 percent branding him a partisan.

Just 34 percent viewed Democrats in Congress as working to unify, but the figure fell to just 22 percent with Republicans. A whopping 67 percent said Republicans are working for partisan advantage.

Just 32 percent of those surveyed said they would vote to re-elect their incumbent member of Congress.

Overall, the multiple impasses in the U.S. Capitol have left Americans in a gloomy mood. Just 29 percent said they felt the country was moving in the “right direction,” despite positive employment news and a stock market that has soared in recent months. Sixty-one percent said the U.S. is on the “wrong track.”